Three-day anti-polio drive starts in Bhakkar

Infants and young children are at highest risk of contracting virus

BHAKKAR: Authorities in Bhakkar district have kickstarted a special three-day campaign in 10 union councils.

The campaign will target 70,581 children of the district and involve 155 mobile teams. World Health Organisation (WHO) Pakistan Health Mobile Teams Chief Executive Dr Shaikh Muhammad Saeed, while talking to The Express Tribune, said polio was a dangerous virus which could spread from one child to another.

The virus may enter a child’s body and cause permanent disability and even death. “Initial symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, vomiting, nausea and a painful neck. The symptoms of the disease start to emerge in seven to 14 days after the virus has entered the body of a child,” he said.

“Children up to five years of age should be given the polio vaccine so that they can develop immunity against the virus and protect themselves, even in the presence of the virus. However, children who are not administered polio drops regularly could easily fall prey to the virus after which they may face disability and death as their bodies do not have the immunity to fight the virus,” he elaborated.

The infants and young children are at the highest risk of contracting the virus as they do not have much immunity against the disease.

Modern research indicates that children under five years of age are the most affected from polio virus due to lack of immunity in their bodies. This is why children up to five years should be given polio drops in every campaign so that they may develop strong immunity against.

The polio vaccine is the safest among all vaccines developed in medical sciences. The vaccine is prepared as per the guidelines of the World Health Organisation and tested before its administration before every campaign. Pakistan Medical Association, Pakistan Paediatric Association and expert doctors in Pakistan have endorsed the safety of polio vaccines. Polio vaccines must also be administered to vulnerable children in each campaign as they face compromised immunity during the period of disease and the polio dose provides a guard against the deadly virus.

Every dose of polio vaccine comprises of two drops. If the dose is lesser, the vaccine would not provide the necessary safety against the virus and in the event of an overdose, there would be no additional benefit and the vaccine may not be impactful at all.

Over 160 religious scholar across the world have declared polio vaccine as Halal, including renowned Muslim scholars from Egypt, Saudi Arab, Indonesia, Pakistan and other countries. The Imam of Masjid-e-Aqsa, Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), Al-Azhar University of Egypt, scholars from India and all key religious seminaries in Pakistan have passed religious decrees declaring polio vaccines as Halal.

The components of the vaccine include a weakened state of the polio virus, antibiotic medicine and preservatives so that it could be safely transported and used in every part of the world. Polio can render permanent disability to its victim and the disease, if inflicted, is untreatable.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 22^nd, 2019.